Planetary-gear-controlled propeller



July 19, 1927.

A. LANGENBA CH PLANETARY GEAR CONTROLLED PROPELLER Filed Feb. 1926 -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1927' A. LANGENBACH PLANETARY GEAR CONTROLLED PROPELLER Filed Feb. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 19,1927. i UNETED STATES PATENT UFFlfiE.

PLANETARY-GEAR-CONTROLLED PROPELLER.

Application filed February 19, 1926. Serial N0. 89,328.

My invention relates to fluid propellers, and has for its mainobject the provision of an improved propeller adapted for 'use on aeroplanes, airships, and submarines, al- 5 though in their broadest aspects the principles of .myinvention may be employed in the construction of fans, blowers, etc.

A further object of my invention is the provision of an improved propeller in which the planes of the blades are substantially normal to the direction of propulsion during the greater portion of the working part of their cycle.

A further object is the provision of a prol peller in which the angle of propulsion may be readily changed while the propeller is in operation.

A further object is the provision of a propeller which has high aero-dynamic efllciency, is light in construction, and may be cheaply manufactured.

Other objects will appear from the follow,- ing description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the propeller. Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1. s Figure 3 is a vertical line 33 of Figure 1. 1

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic View of the control device.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views section taken on the showing the action of the blades when set at various angles. 7 Figure 8 is a vertical section taken on the line 88 of Figure 1. c My improved propeller comprises a plurality of blades 10, each composed of two joined sheets of aluminum or other suitable material, which surround and may be-fixed.

to a shaft 11. An aluminum disc 10 is preferably secured at each end of each blade to strengthen the blade and, to some extent, prevent slippage of theair from the end of 5 the blade. The edges of the blades 10 are preferably sharp so as to lessen the resistance to lateral movement. The discs 10 are secured to the shafts 11 which are freely rotatable in suitable bearings in the disc shaped heads 12 and 13.. These heads are keyed or otherwise secured to the main shaft 14 which isfreely rotatable in an anti-friction bearing in the stanchion 15 and in a sleeve 16 which is rotatable in a suitable bearing in the stanchion 17. It will be apparent that the heads 12 and 13 and the shaft 14 may be rotated relative to the stanchions 15 and 17 (which are merely illustrative of any suitable supporting means) by any convenient driving means, as, for example, by the chain 18 and the chain sprocket19 which is fixed to the main shaft 14.

A planetary gear 20 is secured at the left hand end (Figure ,1) of each of the shafts 11, and meshes with the corresponding idler gear 21, which in turn meshes with the sun gear 16 which may be secured to or be made integral with the sleeve 16 as shown inFigure 8. The idler gears 21 may be mounted on stub shafts secured in the head 13. If desired a similar train of planetary gearin may also be provided at the other ends 0 the shafts. A sprocket 16 is also fixed to or integral with the sleeve 16. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the sprocket 16", and consequently the sleeve 16 and the sun gear 16 may be rotatedby means of a chain 22 one end of which is connected to a tension sprin 23 anchored at 24 and by means of said. spring be returned. to normal position. The other end of the chain 22 is connected to any suitable control device such as the lever 24 which is pivotally mounted at 25 and has a locking rod 26 'slidably secured thereto. The lower end of this locking rod normally tends to enga e one of the notches 27 a formed in the ocking segment 27, but may be disengaged by gripping pressure on the handle 28, as is well known in the machinery art.

The position of the sun gear 16 is .thus controlled by lever 24 for a purpose which will hereinafter be described. This method of adjusting the sun gear 16 is more or less diagrammatically shown. I contemplate the substitution of such equivalent mechanical expedients as may be found desirable in the particular embodiment in which my invention may be used.

.The planetary gears 20 are each twice the diameter of the sun gear 16, so that, since the sun gear of the planetary gear system is held stationary by the chain and control lever, the gears 20 will each rotate through 180 while the shaft 14 and the heads 12 and 13 rotate through 360. In other words thegears 20,- shafts 11 and blades 10 rotate through an angle of 180 relative to the heads 12 and 13, while making one revolution about the sun gear 16*. The positions assumed by the blades at various points in their cycle are illustrated in the right.

Figure 2. Assuming that the heads 12, 13 are being driven counterclockwise 1n th1s figure, as indicated by the arrow, the lower blade (I) is positioned normal to its instantaneous direction of motion and its propelling (or tr'active) force is at a maximum. Upon counter-clockwise revolution of the blade through 90 the blade assumes the position shown at (II) in Figure 2, in which position the blade exerts aforce which may be divided into two equal components, one vertically upward and the other an effective horizontal component to g In position (111) the blade is horizontal and merely shears the surrounding fluid. In position (IV) the blade is again at an angle of 45 to the direction of its motion and exerts a force which may be divided into a downward vertical component and an effective horizontal component to the right. The forces exerted by the blade at points betweenthese positions (I,

' II, III and IV) will of course vary gradih i the ally in direction and effect from the force exerted at the one position to the force exer ed at the next ad jacent described position.

of the blades is varied by shifting the control lever 24. When the lever is in p0sitions A, B and C, the blades will be in position A, B and Ct respectively. This adjustment of the angle of the blades can be made just as readily while the propeller is rotating at any speed as when it is stationary.

In Figure 5 I have I diagrammatically illustrated the path of a blade when it revolves While adjusted in the position A. when in this position of adjustment the rcsultant reactive force on the propeller, (rotating counter-clockwise) from the surrounding medium will be in the direction as indicated by the arrow A"! Similarly in Figures 6 and 7 the resultant reactive forces exerted upon the propeller in the E and C adjusted positions will be in irections of the arrows Bv and C" respectively.

, The simplicity of the method by which the angle of the blades may be varied-to change the direction of the propelling force of the blades is an important feature when the de vice of my invention is used on aeroplanes, airships, helicopters, etc. It will be apparent that the three ositions of adjustment described are mere y illustrative of the fact that the angle of the blades may be adjusted while the propeller is rotating at any In Figure 4 I have shown how the angle speed so that the resultant force exerted by 1. In combination with a movable carrier,

of a propeller mounted thereon to rotate on a horizontal axis, said propeller comprising.

a-cenlral horizontal shaft, blade supports fixed to said shaft adjacent its ends, a 'plurality of blades having their ends rolalably mounted in said blade supports with the blades extending be ween the blade supports, means for driving said horizontal shaft, means for positively rotating said blades between the blade supports emlmdying a sun gear and planetary gears. and regulating means for manually adjusting the angular position ol said sun gear to alter the'efi'eclive position of the blades and the angle of propulsion of the carrier, said regulating ,nieans embodying a lever, a flexible connect ion with-the sun gear and a resilient means for returning the sun gear to its normal position:

2. In combination with a movable carrier, of a propeller mounted thereon to rotate on a horizontal axis, said propeller comprising a central horizontal shaft, blade supports fixed to said shaft adjacent its ends, a plurality of blades having their ends rotatably' mounted in said blade supports with the blades extending between the blade supports, means for driving said horizontal shaft, means for positively rotating said blades between the blade supports embodying a. sun gear and planetary gears, and regulating means for manually adjusting the angular position of said sun gear to alter the efleetive position of the blades and the angle of propulsion of the carrier, said regulating means embodying a lever, means for'locking said lever in adjusted position, an operating connection between said lever and the sun gear for rotating the sun gear in one direction, and a resilient meansconnected to said operating connection for roi 

